Coast Guard Cutter Resolute returns home to St. Petersburg

Apr 15th, 2017 · Comments Off on Coast Guard Cutter Resolute returns home to St. Petersburg

USCG File Photo

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute returned Friday to their homeport in St. Petersburg following a 58-day patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean conducting law enforcement operations in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South operations.

While conducting operations in the international waters of the Eastern Pacific, the crew of the Resolute interdicted three narcotics trafficking vessels with nine suspected narcotics traffickers aboard carrying approximately one and a half tons of cocaine worth an estimated $45 million in street value. Cases ranged from high-speed go-fast vessels to fishing vessels with hidden compartments used to conceal and transport contraband.

“While operating in support of the Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy and Joint Interagency Task Force South, the crew of the Resolute contributed to the disruption of transnational criminal networks thru the detection, interdiction, and prosecution of maritime narco-traffickers,” said Cmdr. Carmen DeGeorge, commanding officer of the Resolute. “Our boarding teams utilized professional law enforcement tactics to identify and seize all contraband regardless of the time of day, successfully projecting a law enforcement presence throughout the Eastern Pacific drug transit zone.”

While visiting Golfito, Costa Rica, on April 4, the Resolute’s crew of 80 was honored to host S. Fitzgerald Haney, the United States Ambassador to Costa Rica and other members of the U.S. Embassy. The visit underscored the “whole of government” approach to combating illegal trafficking and the unique role that Coast Guard cutters fill as national assets and instruments of foreign policy.

The resolute crew also conducted many at-sea drills during the patrol, perfecting their ability to respond to any shipboard emergencies and assigned missions.

“Successful operations, while operating deep in the drug transit zones, requires teamwork across the U.S. interagency and amongst many international partners,” said DeGeorge. “While there is more work to be done, the crew of Resolute is proud to have made an impact while executing this dangerous mission.”

The Resolute is a 210-medium endurance cutter homeported in St. Petersburg. The vessel deployed from its homeport to the Eastern Pacific requiring the cutter to transit through the Panama Canal. The crew’s primary missions include maritime law enforcement, alien migrant interdiction, and search and rescue operations at sea.